As part of a Club to Enterprise programme I am running for Merthyr Tydfil Council this weekend I had meetings/presentations with seven community sports in the beautiful Valleys

Back in May these clubs committed themselves to a programme where the Gareth Hughes and Emma Christopher from the Council’s Sports Development Team and I are encouraging and supporting the clubs to become more enterprising and welcoming.

The clubs vary from rugby clubs with their own facilities, a newly founded trampoline club which operates out the local leisure centre to a running club which caters for runners of all ages and levels of fitness.

The enthusiasm from the clubs to change and grow is almost overwhelming and we are already beginning to see some marked improvements. There are a number of key factors for success for a programme like this:

This is about club enterprise and not club development

There has to be a willingness to change already within the club

Accept that each club is different and your job is to help focus on THEIR vision

If you are ‘just a sports club’ you will find life very difficult

Community engagement is of vital importance

Listen to people’s lives and develop services that are relevant (walking rugby for 50+ to ME-time netball for Mums which includes a crèche service while they are playing)

Your club’s finances should not be an afterthought, but an integral part of running the club